Is the word 'coward' misused more often than not?

Lyan · 15-01-2020 01:24AM

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I wonder what Richard Dawkins has to say about that. What's the evolutionary reason why people care about cowardice?

Being able to stand up for yourself and not act frightened can signal fitness. Shaming others for cowardice can help enforce group cohesion. Seems pretty obvious.

Better Than Christ · 15-01-2020 01:28AM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

People who find it annoying have a mute button.

Alternatively, you could take steps to try and be less annoying. That's what I'd do anyway, rather than expecting lots of people to mute me. Unless they were people who I actively wanted to annoy.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 15-01-2020 01:32AM

Deleted User wrote: »

What about American troops so, are they brave or are they cowards?

Are they brave for going to war, or are they cowards for going picking on defenceless countries where the overwhelming number of deaths will be civilians?

Mostly brave. I'd not considering them cowards unless they go looking for trouble. I'd imagine a lot of them have seen and had to deal with a lot of **** to be honest.

The comannders and generals who send them, though? THEY are the coawards. They are the ones picking on defenseless countries.

Blackadder goes Forth portrayed it pretty nicely.

15-01-2020 01:33AM

I dont find ILYV annoying at all..yeah, she's verbose, shall we say.. but she's funny, and smarter than half on here..I think she gets a raw deal, probably down to somehow managing however many posts in 6 months..

cameramonkey · 15-01-2020 01:37AM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Of course. They were people who refused to oppose their countries supporting nazis but where willing to die in missions that hurt the allies.

You won't stand against your emperor for what you know is right.....I mean the worst they could have done to you was kill you.

Yeah that is pretty cowardly.

So Kamikaze pilots were cowards because they didn't appose the Nazis?

ILoveYourVibes · 15-01-2020 01:54AM

cameramonkey wrote: »

So Kamikaze pilots were cowards because they didn't appose the Nazis?

They didn't oppose their own corrupt regime. They didn't oppose a regime aiding the wrong side that was telling their people..yeah ..kill yourselves for us ...you are cannon fodder.

Standing up against that status quo requires guts!

ILoveYourVibes · 15-01-2020 01:56AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I dont find ILYV annoying at all..yeah, she's verbose, shall we say.. but she's funny, and smarter than half on here..

Awh thank you! :P

I love your posts!

storker · 15-01-2020 01:58AM

Is the word 'coward' misused more often than not?

It may well be, but it's in the ha'penny place compared to the much more misused "traitor".

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 15-01-2020 02:17AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I dont find ILYV annoying at all..yeah, she's verbose, shall we say.. but she's funny, and smarter than half on here..I think she gets a raw deal, probably down to somehow managing however many posts in 6 months..

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Awh thank you! :P

I love your posts!

Eww.... get a room!!

dd973 · 15-01-2020 02:17AM

The words 'Coward' or 'Traitor' are used more often than not just to disparage and discredit people in the eyes of others.

Biodegradable · 15-01-2020 12:02PM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

But what if stronger targets had better pickings?

Well that would be stupid as well as cruel.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

The analogy doesn't with because the end result is the same.

That's why the analogy works. So you grow you're tomatoes in your garden?

Biodegradable · 15-01-2020 12:09PM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

If you steal from the baby in front of everyone and from the big guy that is balls.

It's an unusual way of proving that one has balls. More often than not, such an act would be just pure stupidity, or else attention seeking.

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

If a baby has sweets and a big buff guy has more sweets and you still from a baby when no one is looking ..that is cowardice.

Just because there's shame attached to it, doesn't mean it's cowardice. It's actually the logical way for a cruel person to go about getting their sweets easily, while without putting themselves at risk.

Cowardice would be someone who wants to chat up a girl they see, but who doesn't have it in them to go do it. Now the person who stole the sweets from the baby, might well be the sort of person who isn't self conscious and takes what he wants in life. Therefore he might go and approach the girl without hesitation. However, someone who might happen to have high moral values, might be the sort of person who chickens out when it comes to the girl.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 15-01-2020 12:21PM

Biodegradable wrote: »

Well that would be stupid as well as cruel.
That's why the analogy works. So you grow you're tomatoes in your garden?

Eh, no. You haven't read the argument.

PLenty of criminals go for bigger better-defended targets. This would be seen as brave. Some of them are quite audacious.

Biodegradable · 15-01-2020 12:27PM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

PLenty of criminals go for bigger better-defended targets. This would be seen as brave.

Maybe they're thrill seekers, or maybe they've something to prove? And maybe that does prove that such criminals are brave... but it does not prove that the criminal who takes the easier option isn't brave (i.e, that they're a coward).

There's are plenty of times in life when you don't have a choice but to be brave. So why go about creating situations that require bravery, when you can simply get the same result without the risk? There's a difference between laziness and cowardice.

You cannot prove, that the sort of person that you're arguing is a coward, is a coward unless you witness them act in a situation where they actually need to be brave.

You're welcome.

Feisar · 15-01-2020 12:36PM

Coward is a grossly misused word. As dd973 said it's often used to discredit people.

I've often heard it's cowardly to hit a woman. It may be a reprehensible act however it's not in and of itself cowardly.

Stevieluvsye · 15-01-2020 12:40PM

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I wonder what Richard Dawkins has to say about that. What's the evolutionary reason why people care about cowardice?

To be fair, it makes perfect sense in a way to condemn acting against defensless people. Imagine if you and your mother when 6 were at a bus stop with no one around in and a huge 6ft drunk lad starting hitting on your mom. She says no but he keeps insiting and gets the idea of pinning her down and having sex. But then he remembers in his heavily inebriated ming being told by friends "rape is only for cowards". and stops bothering you.

Would you be okay with calling him a coward if it stopped a defenceless woman from being impregnated? Would you not be glad for your hypothetical mother that his friend put that thought about cowardice in his mind?

You need to be sectioned. And soon. Very soon

marieholmfan · 15-01-2020 12:42PM

mr_fegelien wrote: »

The 9/11 hijackers for example. Some say they were cowards cause they picked on innocent civilians who wouldn't resist but one could look at it from a point of being economical.

They knew that fighting a battle against soliders would be a fruitless endeavor and decided that hijacking passenger planes and smashing them into buildings was a more ingenious idea.

How were they cowardly?
They literally died for their cause.

You can call them evil but to call them cowardly is a bit counter intuitive.

marieholmfan · 15-01-2020 12:44PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I dont find ILYV annoying at all..yeah, she's verbose, shall we say.. but she's funny, and smarter than half on here..I think she gets a raw deal, probably down to somehow managing however many posts in 6 months..

Alot of people don't like strong women.

jimgoose · 15-01-2020 12:47PM

The sort of aggressive, violent people who have a tendency to attack people and commit violent crime are, in general, not cowardly shrinking violet types. The word "coward" is thrown around a lot these days to help victims of these people feel better about themselves.

I often think of the fact unacceptable to George Orwell's "Pacifist Nationalist": "Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf."

marieholmfan · 15-01-2020 12:52PM

jimgoose wrote: »

The sort of aggressive, violent people who have a tendency to attack people and commit violent crime are, in general, not cowardly shrinking violet types. The word "coward" is thrown around a lot these days to help victims of these people feel better about themselves.

I often think of the fact unacceptable to George Orwell's "Pacifist Nationalist": "Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf."

Also for alot of people violence is its own reward.

Feisar · 15-01-2020 12:55PM

jimgoose wrote: »

The sort of aggressive, violent people who have a tendency to attack people and commit violent crime are, in general, not cowardly shrinking violet types. The word "coward" is thrown around a lot these days to help victims of these people feel better about themselves.

I often think of the fact unacceptable to George Orwell's "Pacifist Nationalist": "Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf."

You cant handle the truth! Son we live in a world that has walls, and those have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it you, you lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury, you have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Santiago's death while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence while grotesque and incomprehensible, to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you talk about parties; you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall! We use words like honor, code, loyalty, We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something, you use them as a punch line. I have neither the time,or the inclination, to explain myself to a man, who rises and sleep under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner, in which I provide it. I'd rather you just say 'thank you' and go on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn, what you think you are entitled to!

jimgoose · 15-01-2020 12:56PM

marieholmfan wrote: »

Also for alot of people violence is its own reward.

Indeed, these people are what behavioural psychologists call "Muckin' Fental". :pac:

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 15-01-2020 01:19PM

Biodegradable wrote: »

Maybe they're thrill seekers, or maybe they've something to prove? And maybe that does prove that such criminals are brave... but it does not prove that the criminal who takes the easier option isn't brave (i.e, that they're a coward).

There's are plenty of times in life when you don't have a choice but to be brave. So why go about creating situations that require bravery, when you can simply get the same result without the risk? There's a difference between laziness and cowardice.

You cannot prove, that the sort of person that you're arguing is a coward, is a coward unless you witness them act in a situation where they actually need to be brave.

You're welcome.

I'm not trying to prove it. I'm trying to say that not all criminals are cowards. There are brave criminals and there are cowardly criminals; just as in every walk of life.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 15-01-2020 01:33PM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Of course. They were people who refused to oppose their countries supporting nazis but where willing to die in missions that hurt the allies.

You won't stand against your emperor for what you know is right.....I mean the worst they could have done to you was kill you.

Yeah that is pretty cowardly.

Why would the Japanese oppose the emperor or the military regime? The vast majority of them entirely supported Japanese imperialism and those pilots were more than happy to die for the cause.

topper75 · 15-01-2020 03:25PM

If there is a thin line between bravery and stupidity, would that also mean difficulty on occasion picking apart cowardice and being clever?

jimgoose · 15-01-2020 03:26PM

topper75 wrote: »

If there is a thin line between bravery and stupidity, would that also mean difficulty on occasion picking apart cowardice and being clever?

"The wild boar runs from the tiger knowing that each being well armed by nature with deadly strength may kill the other. Running he saves his own life and that of the tiger. This is not cowardice. It is the love of life."

Biodegradable · 15-01-2020 07:11PM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

There are brave criminals and there are cowardly criminals; just as in every walk of life.

Well how could I disagree with that!?

But you know damn well you're arguing against the very essence of what I'm saying. You're basically saying that a criminal who prayed on a weak person can be assumed to be a coward, whereas I'm saying that we'd need to know more about such a person in order to deem them as a coward.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 15-01-2020 08:09PM

Biodegradable wrote: »

Well how could I disagree with that!?

That's a question for you, not me. I mean: why are you replying to my posts??

But you know damn well you're arguing against the very essence of what I'm saying. You're basically saying that a criminal who prayed on a weak person can be assumed to be a coward, whereas I'm saying that we'd need to know more about such a person in order to deem them as a coward.

I defined the act to be cowardly, not the person.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Well, if you pick on defenceless victims, id consider it pretty cowardly.

Hangdogroad · 15-01-2020 08:32PM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

The killed themselves though rather than hang around. I would say that is cowardice.

Killing yourself and a load of other people over some fictional man in the sky is stupidity.

Biodegradable · 15-01-2020 09:00PM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

I defined the act to be cowardly, not the person.

Well then you can't define the act as cowardly. You can only really define it as being cruel. How can you say that the act of raping someone is cowardly? It seems like a randomly chosen description.

Is the word 'coward' misused more often than not?

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